Bush, Putin strive to show unity despite differences during meeting in South Korea

TERENCE HUNTThe Associated Press

Published Friday, November 18, 2005

BUSAN, South Korea -- Though their political relationship is strained, President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin are trying to speak with one voice about the war on terror and the campaign to stop North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

The two leaders were meeting today, apparently still at odds over how to address Iran's nuclear programs and with long-running differences over the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and U.S. concern that Russia is retreating from democracy.

Far from home, Bush was on the defensive about Democrats' criticism that he had misled the nation about the need to go to war in Iraq.

He said at a news conference Thursday that it was "patriotic as heck to disagree with the president." But he added, "What bothers me is when people are irresponsibly using their positions and playing politics. That's exactly what is taking place in America."

Today's meeting was the fifth between Bush and Putin this year, following talks in Moscow; Washington; Bratislava, Slovakia, and Gleneagles, Scotland. Despite their disputes, they're on a first-name basis and emphasize their friendship, which was strengthened when Putin stepped forward and supported Bush after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Bush and Putin were meeting in a hotel suite before the opening of the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. The White House said the key topics would be Iran, North Korea, terrorism, trade, Moscow's goal of joining the World Trade Organization by the end of the year and developments in Russia.

Bush met with Southeast Asia leaders to underscore U.S. interest in the region, one of the battlegrounds in the fight against terrorists. Bush was interested in asking the leaders to exert their influence on the military junta in Myanmar, which Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said was "one of the worst regimes in the world" for its record on human rights and free speech.

Putin has refused to support Bush in the president's eagerness to go to the U.N. Security Council with suspicions Iran is trying to build a nuclear arsenal. Over U.S. objections, Russia is building a nuclear reactor for a power plant in Iran, an $800 million project the United States fears could be used to help develop nuclear arms.

Putin says that he shares the U.S. goal of an Iran without nuclear arms but that he has been assured Tehran has no ambitions for developing a nuclear weapon and instead wants its program for civilian energy use alone.

Bush and Putin have generally agreed on a need to avert the spread of nuclear weapons technology to other nations, including North Korea. Russia is a partner with the United States, China, Japan and South Korea in talks aimed at persuading North Korea to halt its nuclear program in return for energy and security guarantees.

The political relationship between Bush and Putin has frayed, in part because of U.S. concerns that Putin is consolidating power in the Kremlin and eroding democratic advances in post-Soviet Russia.

While Russia backed the United States in the war in Afghanistan, Putin vehemently opposed the invasion of Iraq.

Putin has been outspoken about the struggle against terrorism, but U.S. officials accuse Russia of turning a blind eye toward what they say is Iranian and Syrian support for terrorists.

Russian officials accuse the United States and European nations of maintaining double standards on terrorism and have repeatedly lashed out at them for granting asylum to Chechen rebel figures they consider terrorists. Putin and other officials have suggested some in the West are at least tacitly supporting terrorists in hopes of weakening or dividing Russia.